Beetles (Coleoptera)
The beetle collection of the SMNK currently comprises ca. 370.000 specimens [as of 2018]. In recent years, it was rearranged and databased on species-level. Thus, the collection is well-accessible and can be used for scientific identification and for faunistic research.
An important focus is on the German fauna with important contributions by local collectors (H. Gräf, O.-K. Hebestreit, J. Hillger, P. Hozman, Hünsch, H. Nowotny, G. Riegelbauer, W. Rössler, H. Steude). Moreover, some beetles were collected by lepidopterist H.-G. Amsel on his expeditions to Afghanistan and Iran more than 50 years ago. The Curculionidae (weevils) of this collection were identified by E. Voss, and the Tenebrionidae (darkling beetles) by Z. Kaszab.
In the years between 1993 and 2001, Fritz Brechtel enlarged the holdings of xylophagous beetles, especially of Buprestidae (jewel beetles) and Scolytidae (bark beetles). Moreover, a major collection of Elateridae (click beetles) of P. Cechovsky reached the SMNK (> 15.000 specimens). In 2010 more than 30.000 specimens of Palearctic longhorn-beetles (Cerambycidae) were purchased from M. Sláma (Prague).
In August 2003 A. Riedel established weevils (Curculionoidea) as a focus of the collection. Meanwhile, the SMNK has a large weevil collection, mainly of Indo-Australian species.
A list of type specimens is currently in preparation.
